Minneapolis officer wounded in apparent targeted attack
MINNEAPOLIS >> Minneapolis police arrested a 43-year-old man Saturday after the early morning wounding of an officer who investigators believe was shot because he was a member of the police force.
The man was arrested on suspicion of violating his probation, burglary and aggravated domestic assault, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Any connection to the shooting early Saturday is still under investigation, assistant police chief Matt Clark said at an afternoon news conference.
According to police, the officer and his partner had just handled a burglary and domestic assault call and were standing by their squad car at around 5 a.m. when someone shot the officer. His partner drove him to a hospital, where he was in fair condition Saturday afternoon, Clark said.
The woman who made the 911 call reporting the apparent burglary and domestic assault was known to the man, according to police.
“It’s clear to us that the officer was shot in response to the call,” Clark said.
Chief Janee Harteau met with the officer and his family at the hospital, the department said in a news release.
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“This is a reminder to all that every one of our officers face such danger simply because they choose to wear a uniform,” she said in a statement.
In a news release, Mayor Betsy Hodges called the shooting a “cowardly act.”